Caption: “Homologous Hope&rdquo; sculpture at University of Pennsylvania depicting the part of the BRCA2 gene involved in DNA repair.Credit: Dan Burke Photography/Penn Medicine

Inherited mutations in the BRCA1&nbsp;gene and closely related BRCA2 gene account for about 5 to 10 percent of all breast cancers and 15 percent of ovarian cancers [1]. For any given individual, the likelihood that one of these mutations is responsible goes up significantly in the presence of&nbsp; a strong family history of developing such cancers at a relatively early age. Recently, actress Angelina Jolie revealed that she&rsquo;d had her ovaries removed to reduce her risk of ovarian cancer—news that follows her courageous disclosure a couple of years ago that she&rsquo;d undergone a prophylactic double mastectomy after learning she&rsquo;d inherited a mutated version of BRCA1.

As life-saving as genetic testing and preventive surgery may be for certain individuals, it remains unclear exactly which women with BRCA1/2 mutations stand to benefit from these drastic measures. For example, it&rsquo;s been estimated that about 65 percent of women born with a BRCA1 mutation will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of their lives—which means approximately 35 percent will not. How can women in this situation be provided with more precise, individualized guidance on cancer prevention? An international team, led by NIH-funded researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, recently took an important first step towards answering that complex question.

In a study published in the journal JAMA, the researchers analyzed genetic data and health information from more than 31,000 women with mutations in BRCA1/2.

The views, opinions and positions expressed by these authors and blogs are theirs and do not necessarily represent that of the Bioethics Research Library and Kennedy Institute of Ethics or Georgetown University.